Best knife sharpener

It may seem illogical, but a sharp knife is in fact much safer than one with a dull blade. The reason is, that when the knife is sharp enough it is less likely to slip away from the object you are chopping and cutting you instead. Also, using a well sharpened knife is easier and requires less effort than trying to cut with a dull one. Although most knives are quite sharp when you first purchase them and start to use them, in time and with repeated use, the blade naturally loses some of its sharpness. This is when a knife sharpener comes in handy, and saves a lot of money for buying new knives or giving them for professional sharpening.

Sharpening ABC: Stone, Hone or Strop a knife

There are several types of sharpeners for knives available on the market, including the stone, hone and strop sharpeners. Stone sharpening actually causes the removal of part of the blade’s surface and creates a new razor sharp edge. Honing is when the blade’s edge is realigned, and stropping is the process in which the blade is finely treated with leather and rather than removing material from it, the edge becomes very sharp. Naturally, stropping is the best for the durability of the blade, since no material is removed from it during sharpening, but each technique has its pros and cons.

There is a wide variety of sharpening tools available on the market today, from the century-old sharpening stones to the modern electric sharpeners, so we have written short knife sharpener reviews on some of the best knife sharpener choices according to us.

Types of Knives Sharpening and Honing tools in the market

Sharpening Stones

DMT WM8EF WB 8 Inch DuoSharp Stone Extra

The DMT WM8EF-WB 8-Inch DuoSharp Plus Bench Stone-Extra Fine/Fine With Base sharpening stone is perfect sharpening tool, which offers excellent precision and consistency every time it is used. It has a diamond zone for smaller tools, and no oil or other lubricant is needed for the sharpening process. It is great for knives, scissors and other tools. This product is easy to use and as efficient as ever.

Smiths 50008 8 Inch Diamond Tri Hone

Another pick for our best knife sharpener tool is the Smith’s 50008 8-Inch Diamond Tri-Hone 1. It has a 8 x 2.5 inch stone with a coarse and a fine diamond grit, complemented by the natural Arkansas stone used. This sharpener is very easy to use and allows for micro sharpening of the smallest and finest of tools. For easier use and for safety purposes, this tool has non-slip rubber feet. After getting a full treatment with this sharpener, the knives are as sharp as razors and as good as new.

King Medium Grain Sharpening Stone

Our next choice for a top sharpening stone tool is the King Medium Grain Sharpening Stone – #1000- S. The high quality stones of this sharpener are highest quality Japanese Water stones, which are traditionally used for knife sharpening. There are a wide variety of different sized grit stones, which are all suitable for different types of tools. The lower are meant for harsher sharpening, such as for beat-up axes, whilst the higher grit stones are better for a finer and higher precision sharpening.

Woodstock SteeleX D1130 Japanese Waterstone

Another sharpening tool which utilizes Japanese water stones is the Woodstock SteeleX D1130 1000 Grit and 6000 Grit Japanese Water stone. It combines a 1000 and 6000 grit combination, which allows for speedy and easy sharpening of all types of tools. Only water is needed as lubrication during the sharpening process with this tool.
It is easy to use even by users with little or no experience, and the results are stunning. You can purchase a D1091 stone holder to make the use of this tool even easier and safer.

Sharpening Steels

Buck Knives 97082 EdgeTek Sharpener

As for the sharpening steels, one of our top picks is the Buck Knives 97082 EdgeTek® Tri-Grit Ultra Steel Diamond Knife Sharpener 10″. This tool has a 100% diamond coated surface for sharpening and three sides with different grit sizes (fine: 1200, medium: 750 and coarse: 325).

This allows for very high quality and precision sharpening of a wide variety of blades of all sizes and shapes. An extra hand guard and handle makes this tool safe and easy to use.

Dickoron CLASSIC Sharpening Sapphire 12 Inch

The next tool which we approve of in this category is the Dickoron CLASSIC Sharpening Steel, Sapphire Cut, Oval, 12 inch – #7598330 – Made in Germany. It is of very high quality and manufactured by a traditional German producer who has been making sharpening tools since 1778.

This one features a water resistant surface, and a very tough core. It allows for safe and comfortable use, and has a galvanic coating which provides quite efficient surface protection.

Victorinox Cutlery 9 Inch Sharpening Plastic

Another top pick in this category of knife sharpeners is the Victorinox Cutlery 9-Inch Round Sharpening Steel. Produced in England from the highest quality steel, this sharpening tool will help you restore and maintain the razor sharp edges of your knives and cutlery, by smoothing out any damage and small imperfections of the blades. Again, the handle provides safety and ergonomics.

DMT DS2E 12 Inch Diamond Sharpening

The DMT DS2E Diamond Steel Sharpening Rod, with an extra fine grit is another of our favorite sharpening steel tools. It offers users much faster knife sharpening than with conventional ones, mainly because of its monocrystalline diamond surface. This tool is durable and will last through a lot of sharpening and many years if used correctly. No lubrication is needed for the sharpening processes which is another plus.

Pull-Thru Sharpeners or Manual Knife sharpeners

Smiths 50264 Adjustable Manual Sharpener

Using Smith’s 50264 Adjustable Manual Knife Sharpener is one of the quickest ways to get a knife from dull to razor sharp. This works by sharpening the knives in two stages – coarse or fine. It has a serrated blade and a knob for adjusting the required sharpening angle (from 14 to 24 degrees per each side). Produced by a traditional producer, this tool is very user friendly and maintain and safe to use at home. Its compact size would allow you to sharpen quickly and easily even the blade of your multi tool.

Chef’s Choice Pronto Santoku Manual Sharpener

Another excellent tool in this category is the Chef’s Choice Pronto Santoku/Asian Manual Knife Sharpener. Its producers claim that it is actually the fastest knife sharpening tool currently available on the market. It has diamond abrasives for the sharpening and the honing stages. The diamond wheels of this tool will stay intact after sharpening any metal alloy. No lubrication or water is needed for sharpening with this Santoku sharpener.

KitchenIQ 50146 Angle Adjust Adjustable Sharpener

The KitchenIQ 50146 Angle Adjust adjustable manual sharpener is very simple to adjust and use. Just a few pulls through this sharpener will make your knives sharp once again. The KitchenIQ sharpener is used both by professional chefs and by home cooks as well. In other words, this sharpener is easy to use and highly efficient.

Electric Knife Sharpeners

Chef’s Choice 120 Professional Sharpener

Our first pick in this category of knife sharpeners is the Chef’s Choice 120 Diamond Hone 3-Stage professional knife sharpener. This is a highly efficient, easy to use sharpener, which utilizes three stages of blade sharpening and has a 100% diamond abrasive surface, which will last for a very long time.

Kyocera Electric Diamond Sharpener Ceramic

Another one of the top electric knife sharpeners is the Kyocera Electric Diamond knife sharpener for ceramic knives, which is battery powered and very safe to use. As its name suggests, it is an excellent sharpening tool for ceramic knives, and it has an assist roller and guide slot to make the task of sharpening more precise and easy.

Knife Sharpening Systems

Norton IM200 Three Sharpening System

The Norton IM200 -8″ Three Stone Sharpening System includes Fine India, Medium Crystolon, and Coarse Crystolon stones with different grit sizes. All three stones are used for the sharpening and restoration of damaged or dull blades. This knife sharpening system is sold with special and non-toxic oil for lubrication, as well an angle guide and detailed instructions to make the process of sharpening knives at home easy and safe.

How to Choose the Best Knife Sharpener for You?

In conclusion, as you can see, knife sharpening tools vary by type, size and functionality, so when choosing one for your specific needs, you should consider getting one which is suitable for the types of knives and cutlery you have, as well as your level of expertise you have in the art of sharpening.

By buying an efficient knife sharpener, you will ensure that your knives stay sharp and thus make cutting and chopping easier and safer. That way no matter whether you need to sharp you kitchen knives or the good old pocket knife you carry around, you will always have a reliable sharpening tool.

There is a wide variety of different sharpening tools available on the market, so the best advice for choosing the perfect one is to choose one which you find easy to use, and of course one which will meet your needs.